Friendship.
The second book
Schleich released
Schleich did not only produce original figures but also gave them character by bringing their background story to life. To allow kids to dive deeper into the fantasy world Bayala, Schleich released fiction books. The books aim to introduce the figures that the kids can buy and play with as well as their relationships with one another. The first book was released in 2008 and follows the story of the daughter of the fairy king (Keck, 2008). The second book, The Song of Friendship, was released in 2011 where the main characters need to save Nugur, the last descendant of the dragons (Kreß, 2011). Afterwards, many books that were not only restricted to the world of Bayala followed. The friendships between the characters are a major theme in the stories Schleich tells. The Song of Friendship focuses on the sisterly relationship between the two fairy princesses. Here, the books underline the importance of relationships that are not of a romantic nature. Contrasting a toy set they released that focuses on romantic love by portraying a heterosexual wedding, Schleich explores different types of love in their books.